Surgical evaluation and treatment of uremic pericarditis 89 can precipitate cardiac tamponade. Intensive hemodialysis will be effec- tive in approximately 70–80% of patients [2,17]. Patients who are prone to fail medical management include those with hypotension, elevated white blood cell count to greater than 15,000/mm [3], jugular venous disten- sion, large effusion, or anterior as well as posterior effusion on echography [17]. Systemic corticosteroids have provided inconsistent, often only tem- porary, relief [4]. Indomethacin was found to be ineffective in a controlled double-blinded study [18]. Intrapericardial hydrocortisone, triamcinolone or an equivalentnonabsorbableagent may accelerateimprovement by sup- pressing inflammation [19]. The algorithm for medical management of uremic pericarditis assumes that the patient is hemodynamically stable. If there is no associated effu- sion, or only a small effusion present, the patient is started on daily, in- tense hemodialysis. Monitoring by echocardiogram is critical to quantify the response to therapy. Usually an echocardiogram every third day will be adequate. If there is no resolution of a large effusion or an increase in the effusion size by 10–14 days of this management, then surgical intervention should be considered [2,8,17]. The development of new or recurrent pericarditis while undergoing chronic hemodialysis occurs in 10–15% of patients [2]. The initial man- agement is again, intensive, daily hemodialysis as long as the patient re- mains hemodynamically stable. This therapy alone is 50–60% effective in complete resolution of pericarditis [2,4,7,17]. Again, a response to intense, daily hemodialysis is expected within 10–14 days [8]. Other therapeutic op- tions such as changing to peritoneal dialysis, systemic steroidal therapy, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents may be employed, but each has limited and unproven efficacy. In those patients who fail to respond, there may also be evidence of progressively increasing pericardial effusions; sus- tained large effusions increased central venous pressure, development of rhythm disturbances, and development of incipient tamponade. Echocar- diography assists in determining the response of the effusion to intensive hemodialysis. Careful monitoring by serial echocardiogram is essential in assessing the need for invasive intervention. Pericardiocentesis can be a critical intermediate step in the management of uremic effusive pericarditis, particularly when there is evidence of im- pending cardiac tamponade. However, it should not be performed rou- tinely. It is a conservative, though invasive, technique indicated for diag- nosis of a purulent effusion or treatment of impending tamponade. The initial success in reducing the size of the effusion and in relieving hemody- namic compromise is around 80% [20]. The difficulty with pericardiocente- sis alone isthat recurrence occursin the majorityof patients. The instillation 90 Chapter 6 of steroids into the pericardium has been shown to improve long-term res- olution of pericarditis with a decreased incidence of recurrent effusion [8]. Subxiphoid insertion of a needle into the pericardium, typically guided by electrocardiographic or echocardiographic control, enables removal of fluid and relief of the hemodynamic abnormalities of tamponade. Removal of even a small amount of fluid can produce striking hemodynamic im- provement. Usually a small catheter is inserted via the needle into the peri- cardium for continued drainage. This assures a more complete drainage and provides a means of monitoring in the event of inadvertent injury to the heart. The role of pericardiocentesis is controversial as there is significant risk associated with it in this particular patient population. The fibrinous na- ture of the exudate and frequent loculations may precipitate complica- tions. In addition, the granulation tissue and bleeding diathesis associated with uremia make needle drainage of the effusion a higher risk procedure compared to pericardiocentesis for other etiologies. Finally, the difficulty of complete drainage due to posterior fluid collections or loculated col- lections can contribute to therapeutic failure. The major complications of pericardiocentesis occur during tapping and are caused by needle contact with the heart. Injury to the coronary veins, right atrium, or right ventricle is especially dangerous because the structures are thin walled and likely to bleed briskly producing significanthemopericardium. In rare instances, in- jury to the stomach, colon, and lung have occurred [13,21]. Also, as patients are vasotonic, a neurogenic reflex may contribute to postdrainage collapse. For this reason, atropine should be available at the time of the pericardial effusion drainage. These concerns make needle drainage of uremic effusive pericarditis a less attractive option. In the emergent situation of impend- ing tamponade, the placement of a drainagecatheter is recommended. This catheter also provides access for steroid instillation if desired. Surgical management Despite intensive medical therapy, uremic pericarditis may still progress to life-threatening hemodynamic compromise due to effusive or constrictive pericarditis. As noted, the results of pericardiocentesis can be temporary and associated with significant morbidity. Though effective, intense dial- ysis reduces the need for surgical intervention in this disease process, it is still an important component of management for select patients. When despite intensive dialysis, echocardiography demonstrates evidence of an enlarging or persistent effusion impending tamponade or recurrence of effusion after pericardiocentesis, surgical intervention is warranted. The Surgical evaluation and treatment of uremic pericarditis 91 optimal surgical approach and the degree of pericardial resection neces- sary remain controversial. Surgical drainage and pericardiectomy can be accomplished by antero- lateral thoracotomy, median sternotomy, or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) [22,23]. Pericardiotomy via the subxiphoid approach al- lows for effective drainage of the pericardial effusion, but less access for lysis of adhesions. Surgical drainage of the pericardium is shown to be very successful in the long term for this problem as it has a greater than 90% effectiveness in resolving the constrictive or effusive pericarditis with a less than 3% incidence of recurrence [5,12,23]. Open thoracotomy approach for pericardiectomy has the advantage of removing the entire effusion as well as a sizable amount of pericardium to prevent late constriction. It also allows lysis of any adhesions. Access is through an anterolateral incision or median sternotomy. Both approaches yield excellent long-term results [12,14]. If there is the possibility of re- quiring cardiopulmonary bypass to complete the pericardiectomy safely, the technique of choice for constrictive pericarditis is median sternotomy. As uremic pericarditis is rarely associated with a calcified pericardium, this approach is rarely required. However, some surgeons prefer this ap- proach due to the ease of complete pericardiectomy and lysis of adhesions [22]. However, the open procedures are associated with higher complica- tion rates of pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmias [21]. The use of video- assisted thoracoscopic technology has reproduced the anterolateral ap- proach, but there is limited reported experience and it seems appropriate only for effusive pericarditis [23]. With a VATS resection, a large portion of the pericardium and lysis of pericardial adhesions is possible. In addition, VATS has the advantage of smaller incisions with more limited postop- erative pain. A well-established technique is the subxiphoid extrapleural drainage, which is highly effective and associated with low morbidity. It is a simple method of drainage in effusive pericarditis with low risk of recurrent effusion or developing late constrictive pericarditis [21]. It is an inappropriate approach for constrictive pericarditis as the exposure is too limited. Overall, surgical intervention in uremic effusive or constrictive pericarditis is an essential therapeutic intervention for patients who have failed medical management. Summary Uremic pericarditis continues to be a serious complication of end-stage renal disease. It can be an effusive or constrictive pericarditis. Fortu- nately, there is a decreased frequency of patients presenting with uremic 92 Chapter 6 pericarditis due to earlier diagnosis of renal failure with timely institution of dialysis. The incidence of pericarditis in patients on chronic dialysis has remained constant however. Medical management, which primarily includes increased frequency of dialysis, can often effectively treat this problem and is the first line of therapy. In our institution, surgical inter- vention for uremic pericarditis has become a fairly uncommon procedure. This reflects the importance of an early and aggressive dialysis regimen in the treatment of renal failure. Echocardiography is a critical study in this situation as it is the most accurate method to diagnose tamponade, progression of disease, or resolution in response to therapy. If the patient does not respond to medical management, further intervention is indi- cated. The role of pericardiocentesis is limited due to the difficulty with complete drainage and the associated risks of the procedure. Pericardiec- tomy remains thedefinitive therapy for effusiveor constrictive uremic peri- carditis that is unresponsive to medical management. It can be performed as an open procedure or by VATS. A pericardiostomy, via a subxiphoid approach, for effusive pericarditis can be equally effective. References 1 Wacker N, Merrill JP. Uremic pericarditis and chronic renal failure. JAMA 1954;156:764–765. 2 Rutsky EA, Rostand SG. Pericarditis in end-stage renal disease: clinical characteris- tics and management. Semin Dial 1989;2:25–30. 3 Frommer JP, Young JB, Ayus JC. Asymptomatic pericardial effusion in uremic pa- tients: effects of long-term dialysis. Nephron 1985;39:296–301. 4 Compty CM, Cohen SL, Shapiro FL. Pericarditis in chronic uremia and its sequels. Am Intern Med 1971;75:173–183. 5 Connors JP, Kleiger RE, Shaw RC, et al. The indications for pericardiectomy in the uremic pericardial effusion. Surgery 1976;80:689–694. 6 Baily GL, Hampers CL, Haber EB, et al. Uremic pericarditis: clinical features and management. Circulation 1968;38:582–591. 7 Marini PV, Hull AR. Uremic pericarditis: a review of incidence and management. Kidney Int 1975;7(suppl. 2):163–166. 8 Renfrew R, Buselmeier TJ, Kjellstrand CM. Pericarditis and renal failure. Annu Rev Med 1980;31:345. 9 Clarkson BA, Uric acid related to uremic symptoms. Proc Eur Dial Transplant Assoc 1966;3:3–8. 10 Twardowski ZJ, Alpert MA,Gupta RC, etal. Circulating immune complexes: possible toxins responsible for serositis (pericarditis, pleuritis and peritonitis) in renal failure. Nephron 1983;35:190–195. 11 Maisch B, Kochsiek K. Humoral immune reactions in uremic pericarditis. Am J Nephrol 1983;3:264–271. Surgical evaluation and treatment of uremic pericarditis 93 12 Frame JR, Lucas SK, Pederson JA, et al. Surgical treatment of pericarditis in the dialysis patient. Am J Surg 1983;146:800–803. 13 Gunukula SR, Spodck DH. Pericardial disease in renal patients. Semin Nephrol 2001;21:52–56. 14 Robertson JM, Mulder DG. Pericardictomy: a changing scene. Am J Surg 1984;148:86– 92. 15 Shabetai R, Fowler NO, Guntheroth WG. The hemodynamics of cardiac tamponade and constrictive paricarditis. Am J Cardiol 1970;26:480. 16 Appleton CP, Hatle LK, Popp RL. Cardiac tamponade and pericardial effusion: Res- piratory variation in transvalvular flow velocities studied by Doppler echocardiog- raphy. J Am Coll Cardiol 1988;11:1020–1030. 17 De Pace NL, Nestico PF, Schwartz AB, et al. Predicting success of intensive dialysis in the treatment of uremic pericarditis. Am J Med 1984;76:38–46. 18 Spector D, Alfred H, Siedlecki M, et al. A controlled study of the effect of in- domethacin in uremic pericarditis. Kidney Int 1983;24:663–669. 19 Buselmeier TJ, Davin TD, Simmons RL, et al. Treatment of intractable uremic peri- cardial effusion: avoidance of pericardectomy with local steroid instillation. JAMA 1978;240:1358–1360. 20 Morin JE, Hollomby D, Gonda A, et al. Management on uremic pericarditis: a report of eleven patients with cardiac tamponade and a review of the literature. Ann Thorac Surg 1976;22:588–592. 21 Rostand SG, Rutsky EA. Pericarditis in end-stage renal disease. Cardiol Clin 1990;8:701–707. 22 Arsan S, Mercan S, Sariqul A, et al. Long-term experience with pericardiectomy: analysis of 105 consecutive patients. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1994;42:340–344. 23 Nakamoto H, Suzuki T, Sugahara S, et al. Successful use of thoracoscopic pericardiec- tomy in elderly patients with massive pericardial effusion caused by uremic peri- carditis. Am J Kidney Dis 2001;37:1294–1298. Index A abciximab, 42 abnormal divalent cation metabolism, in ESRD patients, 6 acetylcysteine, 39 activated clotting time (ACT), 41 acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 19 for patients receiving peritoneal versus hemodialysis, 21 adjunctive therapy with PCI heart monitoring, 42 role of direct thrombin inhibitors, 41–42 role of GP2b3a inhibitors, 42 trends, 42–43 advanced glycation end products (AGEs), 4 aluminum hydroxide, 10 American Society of Transplantation guidelines, 22 anemia, in ESRD patients, 6, 19 angiotensin, 10 aortic stiffness, 20 aortic valvular calcification, 76 aspirin, 24 asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), 8 atherosclerosis, 7 B beta blockers therapy, 10 in ischemic heart disease, 24 beta 2 microglobulin, 7 beta radiation, 43 bicarbonate dialysate, sterile, 58 biocompatible dialyzer membranes, 1 bivalirudin, 41–42 blood pressure management, in dialysis patients, 9 blood urea nitrogen (BUN), 70 brachytherapy, 42–43 Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI), 68 C calcification of coronary, 6 of valvular, 75–76 calcium chloride, 57 calcium-containing oral phosphate binders, 10 calcium phosphate (CaxPo4), 6 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Consensus on Surgical Management of Valvular Heart Disease, 77 cardiac tamponade, 86–87, 89 cardiomyopathy, 7 cardiopulmonary bypass, in chronic renal failure patients. See chronic renal failure cardiovascular disease (CVD), 3 in chronic renal failure patients, 19–27 carnitine, 7 chronic renal failure (CRF) cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with electrolyte status and management, 52–53, 55–57 flow rates and perfusion pressure, 57 fluid status and management, 52–55 intraoperative hemodialysis, 57–58 intraoperative management, 53 95 Cardiac Surgery in Chronic Renal Failure Edited by Mark S. Slaughter Copyright © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 96 Index chronic renal failure (CRF) (Continued ) other considerations, 58 preoperative evaluation, 52 coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with dialysis-dependents, 64–65 revascularization in renal transplant recipients, 70–71 surgical techniques, 68–70 vs percutaneous coronary intervention, 66–68 dialysis in, 1–8 management of, 8–11 percutaneous coronary revasculation adjunctive therapy, 41–43 dialysis dependent, 27–35 in nondialysis-dependents, 35–39 vs coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB), 39–41 congestive heart failure (CHF), 65 coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery, 39–41 grafting dialysis-dependents, 64–65 revascularization in renal transplant recipients, 70–71 surgical techniques, 68–70 vs PCI, 66–68 coronary artery disease (CAD), 8 coronary calcification, 6 C reactive protein (CRP), 7 creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) fraction, 35 D diabetes mellitus, in ESRD patients, 4 diet therapy, 9 dyslipidemia, in ESRD patients, 5, 19 E electrolyte status, in chronic renal failure patients, 52–53, 75 Embol-X arterial cannula, 58 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) CVD risk factors, 19–27 abnormal divalent cation metabolism, 6 anemia, 6 diabetes mellitus, 4 dyslipidemia, 5 hyperhomocysteinemia, 5 hypertension, 4–5 inflammation, 7 malnutrition, 6–7 management of, 8–11 uremic factors, 7–8 incidence rate and prevalence, 2–3 percutaneous coronary intervention. See percutaneous coronary revasculation relationship between risk factors and CVD, 3 surgical treatment of valvular heart disease aortic valve replacement, 78–80 etiology, 75–76 mitral valve replacement, 79–80 valve selection, 76–78 treatment of ischemic heart disease with, 24 erythropoietin, 1 F fenoldopam, 39 forced diuresis, 39 G glomerulonephritis, 84 glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, 34, 42 H hemoconcentrator, 56 Hennepin County Medical Center, 26 heparin, 28, 41 high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, 5 high-intensity dialysis program, 11 HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), 9 hypercholesterolemia, 9 hyperglycemia, 19–20 hyperhomocysteinemia, 19 hyperkalemia, 55 hyperparathyroidism, 6, 19, 84 hyperphosphatemia, 10 hypertension, in ESRD patients, 4–5, 19, 75 hypoalbuminemia, 6 Index 97 I inflammation, in ESRD patients, 7 in-stent restenosis, 42–43 insulin, 57 interleukin (IL), 7 intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL), 9 internal mammary artery (IMA), 69 intracoronary gamma radiation, 43 intravenous thrombolytic therapy, 21 iodixanol, 42 ischemic heart disease, 4, 8–10, 22–24 treatment of, in ESRD patients, 24 L left anterior descending (LAD) bypass grafting, 69 left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 4 LIMA grafting, 28 low-density lipoprotein (LDL), 4 cholesterol levels, 5 M malnutrition, in ESRD patients, 6–7 Mayo Clinic interventional registry, 37 MIA syndrome, 7 minoxidil, 84 mitral annular calcification, 76 myocardial infarction, 65 N National Cooperative Dialysis Study in 1981, 6 nifedipine, 24 nitric oxide, 4 Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group, 64 O occult restenosis, 26 off-pump coronary artery bypass (OP-CAB), 69 P percutaneous coronary revasculation adjunctive therapy, 41–43 dialysis dependent, 27–35 in non-dialysis dependents, 35–39 vs coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB), 39–41, 66–68 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), 66–67, 70 pericardial disease associated with renal failure. See uremic pericarditis pericardiocentesis, 90 potassium level, in CRF patients, 52–53 management, 55–57 R renal replacement therapy, 21 respiratory alkalosis, 56 rheumatoid spondylitis, 84 S sevelamar, 10 sodium bicarbonate, 57 subxiphoid extrapleural drainage, 91 subxiphoid insertion in pericardium, 90 Swan–Ganz catheter, 52 systemic corticosteroids, 89 systemic inflammatory response syndrome, 58 systemic lupus erythematosus, 84 T target lesion revascularization (TLR), 32 target vessel revascularization (TVR), 32 theophylline, 39 thrombogenicity, 19 ticlopidine, 28 trasylol, 58 triamcinolone, 89 tumor necrosis factor (TNF), 7 U ultrafiltration technique, 55 uremic pericarditis diagnosis, 86–87 etiology, 84–85 incidence, 83–84 medical treatment, 87–90 surgical management, 90–91 symptoms, 85–86 98 Index uremic toxins, 7 U.S. Renal Data System Annual Data Report (USRDS-ADR), 1–3, 8, 20, 40, 66, 77, 80 V valvular heart disease, surgical treatment of aortic valve replacement, 78–80 calcification, 75–76 mitral valve replacement, 79–80 valve selection, 76–78 very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), 5 video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), 91 W Wegener’s granulomatosis, 84 . 84 hyperphosphatemia, 10 hypertension, in ESRD patients, 4–5, 19, 75 hypoalbuminemia, 6 Index 97 I in ammation, in ESRD patients, 7 in- stent restenosis, 42–43 insulin, 57 interleukin (IL), 7 intermediate. Disease, 77 cardiac tamponade, 86–87, 89 cardiomyopathy, 7 cardiopulmonary bypass, in chronic renal failure patients. See chronic renal failure cardiovascular disease (CVD), 3 in chronic renal failure. protein (CRP), 7 creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) fraction, 35 D diabetes mellitus, in ESRD patients, 4 diet therapy, 9 dyslipidemia, in ESRD patients, 5, 19 E electrolyte status, in chronic renal failure patients,